What does a 93-year-old musical icon do if he still wants to perform and his fans still want to see him perform?

Willie Nelson has the answer. He continues to tour and play the music that he loves.

Tuesday evening, Nelson's tour brought him to Chicago's Huntington Bank Pavilion on Northerly Island.

Officially, his band is named "Willie Nelson and Family," and it includes several members of the Nelson family. Willie's sons, Lukas and Micah, sat on either side of him, playing guitars and singing during the performance. Willie's singing voice has deteriorated over the years, which forced him to recite many of the lyrics to songs he made famous over the decades. In addition to concert standards ("Whiskey River", "Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys", "On the Road Again", "You Were Always on My Mind", "Good Hearted Woman"), the band covered songs by some of their favorite artists, such as Kris Kristofferson's "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and Pearl Jam's "Just Breathe".

This year's tour is billed as "The Outlaw Music Festival," and the supporting acts vary as the festival moves from city to city. The Chicago performance included the Avett Brothers, Lukas Nelson, Stephen Wilson, Jr., Sierra Hull, and Don Was. I arrived too late to hear Don Was and his Pan-Detroit Ensemble, but I caught their act earlier this year at Garcia's. Each act brought their own flavor of country-influenced music, and I enjoyed all of them. Several sets included a tribute to Dolly Parton, who passed away from cancer earlier in the day.

https://davidgiard.com/don-was-and-the-pandetroit-ensemble-bring-soul-jazz-to-garcias

Willie Nelson continues to find ways to entertain his fans, despite the toll that 93 years have taken on his body. He does so by bringing along great musicians to complement his legendary status.